The present invention relates to vehicle systems that are used to collect data on vehicle status or to control specific vehicle functions. More particularly, the present invention provides a system for remotely communicating with a vehicle, specifically, a system that enables an owner to wirelessly check on vehicle status or perhaps control specific vehicle functions from a remote digital device, e.g., from a desktop computer.
Periodic maintenance and inspection of vehicles are generally considered essential for proper and safe operation and longevity of those vehicles. Relatively recently, vehicle manufacturers have incorporated various types of digital systems into vehicles, for example, on-board computers that monitor vehicle sensors in the engine. The sensors may be sophisticated sensors, for example, oil sensors which actually sense oil degradation. The computers can perform various tasks with the aid of the sensors, for example, controlling vehicle alarm systems and driver dashboard components, monitoring the vehicle sensors and diagnosing faults. Using sophisticated sensors such as for example oil degradation sensors, these computers can actually estimate when service is actually needed (thereby potentially relieving a vehicle from the requirement of prophylactic service, e.g., oil changes every six thousand miles irrespective of degradation). Some vehicles have special protocols by which diagnosed conditions may be reported to a garage or service entity having special equipment to read those protocols.
Unfortunately, there are few if any systems for enabling a common consumer to automatically interrogate vehicle status. Even for vehicle owners sophisticated enough to learn about their vehicle and perform routine maintenance, typically, such owners are at the mercy of garage owners and vehicle dealers for the diagnosis of more complicated conditions and maintenance. Further still, many vehicle owners have neither the time nor the expertise to reliably perform routine maintenance or detect conditions which require prompt service.
A need exists for an easy-to-use system that permits a vehicle owner to easily determine vehicle status using a vehicle""s on-board computer system or digital sensors. Ideally, such a system should be able to remotely provide vehicle status, such that a vehicle owner does not have to crawl under a hood of the vehicle, learn vehicle specific procedures, or take the vehicle to a garage. Ideally also, such a system should be able to interact with other occasional functions of an on-board computer, such as vehicle security. Finally, since different vehicle owners have different levels of sophistication relating to vehicle maintenance, such a system ideally should be configurable to the level of any individual. The present invention satisfies these needs and provides further related advantages.
The present invention solves the foregoing needs by providing an easy-to-use system for checking on the vehicle status or controlling a vehicle function. Ideally embodied in a web-based system, the invention permits a vehicle owner at-work or at-home to connect to the vehicle by wireless communication and performs tasks such as inspecting vehicle status or writing parameters to control vehicle functions. For example, inspection of status could include checking on tire pressure, gas level, expected miles until empty, expected miles until recommended oil change or other parameters; inspections could also include detection of actual or expected vehicle maintenance events, such as anticipated miles until next needed oil change. Ideally also, such a system might be used to retrieve vehicle parameters such as VIN number or position as fixed by a G.P.S. device, or to control vehicle functions such as security alarms and the like, all of which may be controlled under the auspices of a vehicle on-board computer system. As can be seen from these examples, the present invention facilitates a wide variety of functions that can be presented to individual vehicle owners at relatively low cost. Moreover, with remote vehicle inspection or control facilitated by software, a nearly infinite number of graphical interfaces may be tailored to the vehicle owner""s tastes or sophistication. As should be apparent from the foregoing, the present invention provides a system that greatly facilitates remote vehicle inspection and control by a vehicle owner, whether the owner has a single car, or whether the owner is a large entity possessing an entire fleet of commercial vehicles.
One form of the invention provides a system for remotely communicating with a vehicle, including a vehicle on-board system having one or more sensors or control devices, a vehicle wireless communication device used to enable remote communication with the vehicle on-board system or devices or sensors, an optional gateway that helps prevent unauthorized wireless access to the vehicle, and an interface that provides easy interaction between the user and computer or sensor or control device. In more detailed aspects of this form of the invention, the interface, gateway and wireless communication device may be embodied as a vehicle-resident web server, admitting access only to communications that can pass the proper security checkpoints; such security precautions are preferably used in at least those embodiments where one can download or xe2x80x9cwritexe2x80x9d parameters to a vehicle, for example, to turn a vehicle alarm or other security function on or off. In other detailed aspects of this form of the invention, a vehicle owner can actually download xe2x80x9cskinsxe2x80x9d to the vehicle, enabling multiple, customized web interface to be installed for the particular vehicle. Also, in more detailed aspects of this form of the invention, a vehicle-resident portion of the system may include software for automatically monitoring certain maintenance events (e.g., degradation of oil to the point requiring an oil change) and for formatting of a responsive email message to alert the vehicle owner.
The invention may be better understood by referring to the following detailed description, which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detailed description of a particular preferred embodiment, set out below to enable one to build and use one particular implementation of the invention, is not intended to limit the enumerated claims, but to serve as a particular example thereof.